Debbie LaChusa

Personal Essays

Personal essays and narratives inspired by my life that don’t necessarily qualify as memoir.

Sometimes You Need a Respite From Recovery

View from “the rock” atop John Rock Trail Loop, Pisgah National Forest, Western North Carolina

Between my husband’s addiction recovery, and our relationship recovery, sometimes I just need a break. I went hiking last week, something I haven’t done nearly enough the past few months. Hiking is one of the main reasons we moved from Southern California to the Blue Ridge Mountains. I’ve often quipped that being in nature, on …

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Battling the Dry Drunk Demons

The Serenity Prayer Plaque

The challenge of loving someone who got sober but never went through recovery. This story was originally published in Black Bear on Medium. It happened again. Like it always does. With words. Cold, defensive, attacking. Once again it’s not about anything big or important. It never is. Simple conversations turn into explosive arguments that activate …

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